Features

National Museum of Nuclear Science & History has opened a permanent exhibit by American sculptor Jim Sanborn called “Critical Assembly, the Secrets of Los Alamos 1944: An Installation by American Sculptor Jim Sanborn,” which recreates the Manhattan Project experiments that determined when plutonium goes “critical in an atomic bomb.” The museum is open seven days a week from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and is located at 601 Eubank Blvd. SE, in Albuquerque. Call 505-245-2137 for information, or visit nuclearmuseum.org. New Mexico History Museum and Santa Fe Opera to recognize “Atomic Histories” in 2018 and 2019. The History Museum’s exhibition will run through May 2019. The History Museum is located at 113 Lincoln Ave. in Santa Fe. Call 476-5200 for more information. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, May through October and closed Mondays November through April.

The public is invited to join Bandelier Astronomy Rangers Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in the Juniper Campground Amphitheater to be a part of International Observe the Moon Night.

This worldwide celebration of lunar science and exploration is held annually as a night when everyone on Earth is encouraged to observe and learn about the moon and celebrate the cultural and personal connections we have with the moon. Each year, thousands of people participate at museums, planetariums, schools, universities, observatories, parks, businesses, and backyards around the world.

Saturday’s event at Bandelier will begin with a short presentation about observing the moon through history, then looking at select lunar sites through telescopes.

Get out in the outback before the snow really flies this winter. The Pajarito Environmental Education Center invites the public to hike Kitchen Mesa at Ghost Ranch Saturday, with Bill Priedhorsky of the Los Alamos Mountaineers.

PEEC is partnering with the Mountaineers to offer this outing.

Kitchen Mesa is a beautiful gypsum-capped high point that stands above the headquarters of Ghost Ranch. Space is limited for this hike and registration is required.

Kitchen Mesa trail is a difficult hike and participants should plan to hike six to seven miles with significant elevation gain.

The group will hike to the edge of Kitchen Mesa and continue along the mesa tops to see additional terrain and more of Ghost Ranch. The mesa lies at the edge of the Colorado Plateau in a region of red rock cliffs and desert formations.

Participants will meet at the Los Alamos Nature Center at 8 a.m. and carpool to Ghost Ranch. Attendees should wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, hiking boots and a hat and bring water, snacks and a lunch. If there is an interest among the group, they may stop for dinner in Abiquiu or Española on the drive back.

This trip is limited to 10 participants and registration is required at peecnature.org. The cost is $8 for PEEC and Los Alamos Mountaineer members and $10 for non-members.

JEMEZ SPRING — A little-known haunted find in the small village of Cañon, just eight miles south of Jemez Springs, is expected to draw Halloween lovers to the Jemez Valley again this year.

“Haunted Jemez” features a roughly half-acre of private property featuring several scary scenes outdoors, in which visitors can walk around, with almost two dozen animated and non-animated creatures throughout the circular walk.

“Haunted Jemez” has grown in size since it was initiated three years ago by Cañon resident, Sharon Chism, whose aim is to promote the “inner child.”

“My overriding goal in hosting a haunted graveyard experience is to encourage visitors to come up the area, enjoy the hot springs up in Jemez Springs and all there is to do in the area,” said Chism.

Before moving to New Mexico, Chism’s son, Charlie Reagan, set up a similar graveyard at their Texas home where visitors would stop for over 15 years.

Though Reagan set up something similar in Cañon when they first arrived, he was later hired to set up and manage the well-known Haunted Corn Field at McCall’s Pumpkin Patch in Moriarty. His mother vowed to carry on the tradition in Cañon on her own.

There are various stories around the origins of Halloween, including that it’s a time when boundaries between this world and the otherworld become thinner – a time when spirits can more easily visit us. That’s a good description of any day at the House of Eternal Return by Meow Wolf, and the group has announced a third year of House of Halloween from today through Oct. 31.

Dedicated teams of Meow Wolf artists have been hard at work this summer creating art installations in the spirit of Halloween to make this is a most unique time to discover new stories and characters – all free with the price of regular admission.

There will also be a variety of special events, concerts, costume contests, Halloween-themed food and beverages and special discount times for New Mexico residents.

Immersive Performances

The Selig family suddenly vanished from the house on March 17, 2016. What happened? What do you make of the clues they left behind? What strange beings and phenomena have been transforming through portals in the Multiverse since they were last seen? Is there really a stray cat wandering the forest? Can you unlock a riddle and find Lex?
Guests can check out live immersive performances with all-new characters during these times:

Los Alamos residents Whitney Spivey and Brenda Fleming have taken their love for the town they’re raising their families in and express it through a children’s book they created called “Goodnight, Los Alamos.”

They both said the book was a labor of love for the county the two young mothers and their families call home.
The author, Spivey, has identical, 18-month-old, twin daughters. She thought of the idea when she and her husband realized there weren’t any children’s books about Los Alamos.

“I was reading them books about Charlottesville, Virginia, or Crested Butte, Colorado, but not about the place we actually lived,” Spivey said.

After a brief conversation with her husband about what that book would look like, Spivey, a professional writer who works at Los Alamos National Laboratory, created a rough draft in a couple of hours. Spivey’s colleague and graphic designer Fleming came up with illustrations for the book, and with a little refinement, “Goodnight Los Alamos” came into being. The book shows their children saying “good night” to 26 notable places around Los Alamos County, including Bandelier National Monument, Fuller Lodge, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Ashley Pond, the Los Alamos Co-op and other places.

More than 60 local and regional artists will display their work from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Saturday at the Crossroads Bible Church, 97 E. Road in Los Alamos.

Most of the artists are tried and trued vendors of previous fairs and have been participating for many years.
Attendees should recognize Kathy Hjeresen’s beaded jewelry, as well as Neal and Ophelia’s carved Nativity gourd ornaments once they walk through the door.

Other recognizable artists would be Marilyn Lisowski, Barbara Knupper, Krysia Napiorkowski, Gloria Olazabal, and John and Lisa Newell, of AluminArt. Bonnie Bray, Bee Chama Honey, and others will also be on hand.

Another longtime vendor who will be displaying their work this year is Irene Wiley out of Sandia Park with her raku sculpture and tiles including fish, sealife, flowers, cats and more.

Sandra Moench will be back by the stage with her functional and handsome collection of pottery. Alexis Palmaffy will also be back again this year selling her etchings and doing henna.

Art exhibits
National Museum of Nuclear Science & History has opened a permanent exhibit by American sculptor Jim Sanborn called “Critical Assembly, the Secrets of Los Alamos 1944: An Installation by American Sculptor Jim Sanborn,” which recreates the Manhattan Project experiments that determined when plutonium goes “critical in an atomic bomb.” The museum is open seven days a week from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and is located at 601 Eubank Blvd. SE, in Albuquerque. Call 505-245-2137 for information, or visit nuclearmuseum.org.

New Mexico History Museum and Santa Fe Opera to recognize “Atomic Histories” in 2018 and 2019. The History Museum’s exhibition will run through May 2019. The History Museum is located at 113 Lincoln Ave. in Santa Fe. Call 476-5200 for more information. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, May through October and closed Mondays November through April.

Friday Art Walking Tours from 10-11 a.m. at the New Mexico Museum of Art, 107 W. Palace Ave., Santa Fe. Meet at the gift shop steps Fridays June through August. Call the front desk to confirm: 505-476-5063. Cost: $10 per adult. Call 505-476-5072 for more information.

NEW YORK — It was a Friday and I was eagerly awaiting my vegetable spiralizer, red wine and Roku stick. They all arrived as promised.

But where was that book and makeup I ordered? And my pizza?

Same-day delivery offers the tantalizing convenience of online ordering with nearly the same immediacy of store buying. But how well are stores pulling it off? I settled in on my couch and spent a Friday trying several different services, from traditional retailers to online-only merchants.

Some stores did better than others. Amazon Prime Now, Instacart and FoodKick all delivered my items within a certain time frame. At the other end of the spectrum were some doozies. One delivery – Bobbi Brown eye shadow from online luxury purveyor Net-a-Porter – didn’t arrive at all. Ordering from Barnes & Noble included glitches both on the website and on the app, and a book that didn’t come until nearly 9 p.m.

The Los Alamos Lads of Enchantment and the Santa Fe Harmonizers will jointly present the 2018 Annual Barbershop Harmony Show in Los Alamos at 7 p.m. Oct. 26 and 7 p.m. Oct. 27 at the United Church of Los Alamos.

The opening part of the show, “Living in Harmony” will feature the combined Los Alamos and Santa Fe choruses and their quartets under the direction of Maurice Sheppard.

The second part of the show will feature Special Guest Quartet, Clutch, the world’s 11th ranked quartet at the Barbershop Harmony Society’s 2018 International Convention and the 2014 Southwestern District Quartet Champions.
“Living in Harmony”, narrated by Jeff Favorite, will explore the importance of living life to its fullest in our work, play, and personal lives. Although work can sometimes be mundane and dreary (“The Banana Boat Song,” “Sixteen Tons”), it can be a lot more enjoyable with a song and the right frame of mind (“Zip-A-Dee Doo-Dah,” “Heigh Ho,” “A Spoonful of Sugar”).

The show also considers the value of a vacation (“Let’s Get Away From It All”) and takes the audience to the ball park to enjoy the great American pass-time of baseball (“The Star Spangled Banner,” “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”).

Scouting in Los Alamos began in 1918 at the Los Alamos Ranch School. To celebrate 100 years of scouting in Los Alamos, a Scout Jamboree will be held at Ashley Pond on Oct. 19 and Oct. 20. This will be a community event to celebrate the long history of scouting in Los Alamos.

The fun will begin Friday evening at 5:30 p.m. with attendees pitching their tents on the north side of Ashley Pond. The campfire program will start at 7:30 p.m. on the slab above the waterfall and will include singing, skits, s’mores and fun.

Then those who are there will get to do something very few people have done in the last 75 years – camp and sleep at Ashley Pond.

On Oct. 20, after breakfast, participants can join in the games and activities around Ashley Pond. The group is planning to have a gaga pit, corn hole, tug o’ war, three-legged races, horseshoes, monkey bridge, and much more. They also plan on having other activities, including metal-working demonstrations and a Dutch oven cook-off.

JEMEZ SPRINGS —The Village of Jemez Springs is continuing its efforts to be known as a Dark Sky destination by co-hosting a Star Party with Jemez Historic Site, for the first time, on Saturday, Oct. 13 from 7-10 p.m., courtesy of The Albuquerque Astronomy Society (TAAS). Plus, an Instructional Coordinator from Jemez Pueblo will share stories of ancient beliefs about astronomical objects and the Pueblo’s connection to the land. The talk will be at 7:30 p.m. and repeated again at 9 p.m.

“This is Jemez Springs’ second Star Party and the first for the Jemez Historic Site, so we are excited to be working together to not only share the natural beauty of our dark night sky but hear the oral history of the constellations as passed on by Pueblo members,” said Jemez Springs Mayor Roger Sweet. “We are grateful to The Albuquerque Astronomical Society for graciously contributing their time and expertise to this event.”

Two big fall events are celebrating big anniversaries this fall, and all are invited.

The 15th annual Jemez Mountain Trail Sale is happening Oct. 20-21, all that’s needed is an eye for bargains and an appetite. Food trucks will be among the vendors on the trail and there will also be newly-opened Second Alarm Brewery. Though the brewery doesn’t have its alcohol license yet, there is plenty of delicious food and soft drinks to be had as one goes about their shopping.

According to Erica Asmus-Otero, communications director for Jemez Village, the fall foliage should be at its peak about the time the trail sale starts.

“It’s a good time with the cottonwoods, because they are changing color along the river,” Asmus-0tero said. “The (Jemez) Pueblo gets involved in the trail sale as well, so there’s a lot going on.”

The sale takes place along N.M. 4 from San Ysidro to La Cueva. They are still looking for vendors for the event also.

People that have something to sell can contact the events Facebook page to get assigned a table and a place on the route. The cost is just $10. People can sell most anything at the site, arts, crafts, potter, new and used goods. Contact Billy Ehret at billyehret@yahoo.com for more information.

TODAY
Chit-Chat & Change (Diapers) from 9:30-10:15 a.m. at the Family Strengths Network, 3540 Orange St. This class offers parents/caretakers of babies and expectant parents the opportunity to connect and explore timely topics. This group is meant to be a quieter space. Infants up through walking are welcome.

Fire Safety for Young Children from 10:30 a.m.-noon at Family Strengths Network, 3540 Orange St. The Los Alamos Fire Dept. will be at FSN to teach children how to “Stop, Drop and Roll,” see a fire fighter dress in fire gear and tour a fire truck.
FRIDAY
Gentle Walk at 9 a.m. at the Nature Center. A gentle walk for which the emphasis is on discovery, not mileage gained. Free.

Islamic Astronomy at 7 p.m. Join Galen Gisler as he attempts to bridge the gap between Ptolemy and Copernicus by highlighting the accomplishments in astronomy that we owe to scholars of Medieval Islam. Cost is $6 for adults, $4 for children.
SATURDAY
Los Alamos Community Winds “Travelogue of the Americas” Concert at 7 p.m. at the Crossroads Bible Church, 98 East Road, Los Alamos. Cost is $10 per guest, suggested donation.

Improve public lands by joining a team of volunteers, the Pajarito Environmental Education Center and the Santa Fe National Forest for a fall trail workday on Oct. 20.

Volunteers will help fix erosion issues, clear brush and check dams on Quemazon Trail. Pre-registration is required to volunteer for this project.

Participants will meet at the Los Alamos Nature Center at 9 a.m. to carpool to the trailhead and return by 2 p.m.

There will be trail maintenance jobs for all ages and experts from the U.S. Forest Service will be on site to ensure the safety of participants and to provide instructions. Volunteers will need to carry tools and hike in for about 45 minutes to the project site.

Participants need to wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, sturdy boots and a hat. They should bring water, snacks, a lunch and work gloves. Hard hats, some tools, some extra pairs of gloves and good company will be provided. For more information about this and other PEEC programs, visit peecnature.org, email adventure@peecnature.org or call 662-0460.

Snowflakes are the theme for the community tree for the annual Festival of Trees event. A donation box will be available at the Betty Ehart Senior Center. Community members are asked to donate one snow-related item to demonstrate what can happen when we all come together.

The Festival of Trees will be from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Nov. 17.

Those wishing to donate a holiday item for the silent auction or reserve a craft fair table for $25 for LARSO members and $40 for non-LRSO members can call 662-8920.

The University of New Mexico-Los Alamos, in collaboration with TEWA Women United V.O.I.C.E.S. (Valuing Our Integrity with Courage, Empowerment and Support), is inviting the community to a workshop that explores the complicated historical and cultural environment of northern New Mexico, and addresses the effects of the intergenerational trauma of sexual violence.

The workshop, called “Trauma Rocks,” will be offered from 1:30–3 p.m. Monday, in Building 2, Room 230 on the UNM-LA Campus, 4000 University Drive. Refreshments will be served.

The trauma of sexual violence affects not only those who directly experience it, but also subsequent generations.

Statistics show that one in three Native women will experience sexual assault in their lifetime. Across the United States, one in five women and one in 16 men will experience sexual assault while in college. This workshop is intended to educate participants on how this trauma affects the community as a whole. Through a series of guided exercises, participants will cultivate awareness of behavior patterns which may develop as a reaction to this trauma, and that may interfere with their own success.

This week, we still take a look at bullying prevention month, with the onslaught ahead. Isn’t it ironic that bullying prevention month is just prior to the elections?

This is really the most dreadful three or four weeks of the year, as it relates to everything we see, hear and read throughout the day. Take this opportunity to turn the TV off during the commercial break or switch channels. My sister in-law used to mute the TV during all commercials.

I think we need to take the opportunity to discuss misinformation with anyone under the age of 18 that happens to be in the room at the time. If you see something you know is unfair or wrong say something to young men and women. It may even be something you see on the news.

Sure, I know a lot of young kids aren’t watching the news, but many are in the room. After the two or three prior weeks of non-stop coverage, footage and rhetoric, the market and our brains are saturated to say the least.

This moment can be media literacy education, at the height of insanity. Point out at the end of an advertisement when you hear an alphabet soup of letters followed by the words (dot) org, which may seem to make it sound like a harmless non-profit.